And what James Cameron wants, James Cameron usually gets. $3 billion dollars from one movie buys a hell of a lot of “king of the world” leverage in Hollywood.

So if Cameron wants Louis Leterrier to direct his remake of “Fantastic Voyage”, then by God he’s probably going to get Louis Leterrier to direct. Hell, it’s not like Leterrier’s got a lot going for him, since he’s lost out on every big-name job he’s been up for since directing “Clash of the Titans”. I like the guy’s enthusiasm for his movies, but he’s always been more Paul W.S. Anderson than Paul Thomas Anderson to me. But hey, if Cameron wants him, there has to be a reason, right?

In any case, Deadline has Cameron all but ready to shoot the “Fantastic Voyage” remake by early 2011, script and all, and it’s up to 20th Century Fox to greenlight the film with a budget they can bankroll. Obviously Fox would be nuts to say no to Cameron on anything, especially since “Fantastic Voyage” is going to be shot in 3D, and once you sell “3D and James Cameron” in the same sentence to the public, this thing will make oodles of money.

Expect an official announcement very soon.

As with the 1966 version, the remake will find scientists shrunk down to microscopic size and sent into a dying man’s body in order to cure him from the inside out. Obviously this whole thing will be shot almost entirely in front of a green screen ala Cameron’s “Avatar”, which makes Cameron’s association with it highly profitable for everyone involved.